LPC Calendars 1890 Coney Island Lighthouse for Landmark Review

Key facts

Address

4598 Beach 46th Street, Sea Gate, Brooklyn

Agency

Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)

Action

Calendared for consideration as an individual landmark; public hearing to come

Date reported

Oct. 20, 2026 (Brownstoner)

Built

Funding approved 1889; construction completed July 1890

Structures

71-foot cast-iron lighthouse, six-room keeper's house, non-contributing shed

Ownership

Coast Guard owns the house and leases it to the Sea Gate Association

Operation

Fully automated in 1989; still in operation

What it means

The highlights

1. The site is 4598 Beach 46th Street in Sea Gate and includes the 1890 keeper's house.
2. NYC has six landmarked lighthouses, and none of them are in Brooklyn.
3. The 71-foot cast-iron tower was automated in 1989 and still operates.

Why it matters

Calendaring is the first step in landmarking, and a public hearing gives property owners and neighbors a chance to weigh in.

What to do: Watch for the LPC public hearing date if you own property near Sea Gate.

Not known yet

• The date of the LPC public hearing
• How a city designation would apply to a site owned by the federal Coast Guard
• Whether the Sea Gate Association's lease or public access to the site would change
• When the commission might hold a final designation vote

Background

In New York City, landmarking usually happens in steps. The LPC first votes to calendar a property, then holds a public hearing where owners and the public can testify, and later votes on whether to designate it. Once a property is designated, most exterior work generally needs an LPC permit before it can go ahead, and the City Council can review designations after the commission acts.